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Wednesday, December 9

Why We Should Do Bad Things to Our Characters

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I’ve a favorite answer when folks ask me about how I write my characters: “Whatever doesn’t kill them makes them more interesting.” For me, putting my characters through terrible situations is how I discover who they are—trial by fire. Until I force them to make the tough choices and face the hard truths, I don’t truly know them.

But this can be hard for some writers. They love their characters, and being mean to them actually hurts.
Several weeks ago I had a writer ask me about this, and I know from conversations with many, many writers that she’s not alone in this struggle:

I have this character I really love. I know all the people he knows in the story hate him. My hands are shaking a bit and I don't think I can write those scenes. I was like, "Why do I have to make people hate my favorite character? It's not his fault! I don't want people to hate him." But they have a reason to hate him.

What strikes me most about this situation (aside from just wanting to give the poor writer a hug), is that her instincts are in the right place. She’s created a character with conflict in the story. Other characters hate him. They have reasons to hate him. She’s done her job as a writer—it’s just hard for her to take it to the next step.

If you’re facing a similar struggle, keep in mind that novels are require tough love. In order for our beloved characters to grow and become better people, we have to dash their hopes and dreams and rip their tender little souls to pieces. What doesn’t kill them will make them stronger (and more interesting, remember that), even if it takes some time to get there.

We hurt them because we care. We want what’s best for them, and learning to deal with the horrible things life (or we) throw at them will only make them better people in the long run.

Unfortunately, not every writer dives into the character-destroying fray with gleeful abandon like I do. Writers tend to have sensitive souls, and writing hard, emotional scenes can take a toll on us emotionally and physically. We feel those emotions and our bodies react to them, same as if we were going through them. It’s wonderful for the writing, but not so great for the writer.

How does a writer write a scene they can't handle? Or stakes or consequences or that a bad thing happened to the character you very much care about?

If a scene is hard to write, try:

Breaking it into smaller chunks: You’ll spend less time immersed in that emotion or situation so the stress doesn’t build up as much. It’ll take a little longer to get through it, but it’s more like easing yourself into a cold pool rather than jumping in.

Getting through it quickly: Set yourself a time limit and race through the scene, keeping yourself so busy writing you don’t have time to stress yourself out.

Outlining it first: Breaking it down and looking at it objectively can help you add a layer of separation between the emotional and the writing. You brace yourself for what’s to come, so getting there is easier.

Treat the characters like actors in your play: You’re not doing bad things to them, you’re asking them to read a script and act out a scene—they’re professionals giving you the best performance of their lives. They’re actors! They want the chance to show their range and dig deep into those tough emotions.

Have a talk with your character: It might sound silly, but sit down and tell your characters that it’s time for this hard scene. You’re sorry, but it’ll be over soon and there’s a reward at the end, you promise.

Prep something fun to do or funny to watch after you write the scene: Throw on your favorite movie or plan a day in the garden. Whatever helps put a smile on your face, leave time for it after a hard scene to re-align your brain and reset those emotions.

Don’t be afraid to take care of yourself when you have a hard scene to write. If you need extra time, take it.

Is it wrong that I care about the character so much that I really wish I wouldn't do an awful thing to them? That I am delivering pain and tragedy even though I know it has to happen?

No, it’s not wrong. It shows you care and are able to tap into emotions that will serve you well as a writer. Just don’t let it stymie your writing and prevent you from telling the stories you want to tell.

Also remember, that hard books help readers dealing with hard issues. It might hurt you to write a tough scene, but that scene might help someone who’s really going through a similar trauma. By being real and enduring that emotion, you’re showing someone they’re not alone and that it’s okay for them to have these feelings, too (especially true for those writing young adult fiction).

Go
step-by-step through revising character and character-related issues,
such as two-dimensional characters, inconsistent points of view,
too-much backstory, stale dialogue, didactic internalization, and lack
of voice. Learn how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak
areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs

Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story

Determine the best point(s) of view and how to use them to your advantage

Eliminate empty dialogue and rambling internalization

Develop character voices and craft unique, individual characters

Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems starts
every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers
multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best
fit your writing process. It's an easy-to-follow guide to crafting
compelling characters, solid points of view, and strong character voices
readers will love.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

20 comments:

If you care that much about him, your reader will too. Love this. The last novel I wrote, it was All. I. Could. Do. to plant my fanny in the chair and write the 'Ugly Scene'. Wish I would have read this before I white-knuckled my way through it

Oh the humanity of not wanting to put a favorite character through the ringer. It's understandable to want to keep that fave out of harm's way, but stories are made of conflict, tension, and resolutions. Those things come about due to what we put our through.

Grit your teeth and do it. It's easier when you know it's the right thing for the story. I had to kill a loved character in Darkfall, and when I realized it, I told one of my crit partners. She gasped and said "No, no XX!" But as soon as I told her why she agreed. "Yep, XX has to die"

Great post, even if it wasn't for me. I'm the kind of person where putting a character in danger and making them uncomfortable brings a smile to my face. so my question is: Is it wrong that I care about the character so much that I love to inflict pain and conflict on them?

I'm going through right now. My main girl was slacking in professional motivation. So I thought I'd add a new character that would end up dying a short while later. They went to school more than a decade ago, then he moved out of state & was forgotten. He only came back for a big weekend event where they chanced to meet. Everything about him is a sweetie. With years of hard work, he has since managed to go from poverty to riches. But he never forgot where he came from. She was supposed to make some stupid mistake. After his death, she was to be super motivated not to take progress for granted. I even decided he'd die after he'd been away for weeks on one of his many business trips out of the country. I still haven't figured what stupid mistake she does, because it seems she's falling for him. It's not supposed to be that way! Once she gets her act together, there's another love interest I have in mind for her. Where did I go wrong... again?Gale

“Whatever doesn’t kill them makes them more interesting.” So true! Because when characters have to act and make decisions (especially tough ones) ... this is when their character is revealed in the most meaningful and memorable ways.

Excellent tips here! Generally, I'm not shy about making things hard, even awful, for my characters, but in one manuscript I did have a scene that was difficult for even me to get through (probably because it was very close to some personal experiences I had. Didn't WANT to write this scene, but I could see it was where the story was heading, and I knew I couldn't cheat. Still, I cringed while writing the scene and I cringed every time I had to edit/read through it again.) So yes, acknowledge when a scene is hard to write. And make sure you do what you need to get through that scene and give it your best. Our stories won't be as resonant or genuine if we skip the scenes that are painful or scary to write.

I have the opposite problem! I love to put my characters in a dark place, to make them make terrible choices and suffer the consequences. I like to start with a deeply flawed character, break them apart and turn them into a decent human being. Now that I think about it, I rarely reserve a true, unmistakable happy ending for them. I need them to keep scars to make sure that whatever happened to them made them a better person, but not a different person.Or, like Leonard Cohen would say in Anthem: "There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in."